Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Economic and Social Data Prepared for: Northampton Borough Council Prepared by: ENVIRON Exeter, UK Date: July 2010 Project Number: UK1814571 Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data Contract/Proposal No: UK1814571 Issue: 4 Author Vicky Pearson, Catherine Banks (signature): Project Manager/Director Johanna Curran (signature): Date: 2nd July 2010 This report has been prepared by ENVIRON with all reasonable skill, care and diligence, and taking account of the Services and the Terms agreed between ENVIRON and the Client. This report is confidential to the client, and ENVIRON accepts no responsibility whatsoever to third parties to whom this report, or any part thereof, is made known, unless formally agreed by ENVIRON beforehand. Any such party relies upon the report at their own risk. ENVIRON disclaims any responsibility to the Client and others in respect of any matters outside the agreed scope of the Services. Version Control Record Issue Description of Status Date Reviewer Authors Initials Initials 1 First draft Final 25/09/09 JC VP 2 Second draft Final 10/11/09 RA VP 3 Third draft Final with updates 10/05/10 JC VP 4 final 02/07/10 JC CB/VP UK18-14571 Issue 4 Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data Contents Page Executive Summary i 1 Introduction 1 2 Overview of Northampton and Priority Issues 5 3 Discussion of the Northampton Central Area and Priority Issues Identified 17 4 Future Updates 25 Annex A: Topic Papers Annex B: Glossary UK18-14571 Issue 4 Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data Executive Summary Northampton Borough Council is currently producing various strategies to plan for the future of Northampton. This data report is intended to provide valuable information for the local planning process through the complication of all currently available data into a single report. This report is intended to facilitate the consideration of all aspects of the environment, society and the economy in the development of plans for land use, community and environmental resources in Northampton. This report presents data for the whole of Northampton to assist in the Council’s general forward planning processes. In addition, at the time of writing Northampton Borough Council has been producing a detailed Area Action Plan for the Central Area of Northampton. Therefore, where data specific to this area has been available this has been presented separately. The boundary of the Northampton Central Area is shown in Figure 1 of the main report. The main report has been structured around sixteen topics which collectively set the context for planning in Northampton. These topics are listed below. 1. Air Quality and noise 9. Housing 2. Biodiversity 10. Labour market and economy 3. Water 11. Social deprivation 4. Land use and soils 12. Health and well being 5. Energy and climate change 13. Crime and community safety 6. Archaeology and cultural heritage 14. Education and training 7. Landscape and townscape 15. Population 8. Transport 16. Waste The information presented in this report is the most up to date information available at the time of writing, according to the best knowledge of the authors and the planning officers within Northampton Borough Council. Data collection has focused on publicly available data from national, regional and local agencies. Some of the key information sources used include: • Office for National Statistics; • NOMIS (official labour market statistics); • Audit Commission area profile and Best Value Performance Indicator Data; UK18-14571 Issue: 4 i Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data • Northamptonshire Observatory; • Borough and County Council strategies and documents such as the Joint Waste Management Strategy, Local Transport Plan etc; • Data from regional bodies such as the East Midlands Regional Assembly and East Midlands Sustainable Development Round Table; • Data from other local agencies such as the Northamptonshire Police and Northamptonshire Learning & Skills Council; and • Data from Government Departments such as the Home Office and Defra etc. As well as comparing data with the national picture, data has also been presented for two other towns / cities within the East Midlands in order to compare the situation in Northampton with other comparable settlements. The chosen settlements are Leicester and Derby. They have been chosen as they have geographical areas similar to Northampton Borough in that their administrative area consists mainly of an urban area with a small hinterland. A number of key issues have been identified in relation to the topics listed over the page. These are presented within Chapter 3 of the main report. The following are some of the headline issues identified: Air quality: The main source of air pollution in Northampton Borough is from road transport. Eleven areas in Northampton Borough have Air Quality Management Areas as a result of high nitrogen dioxide levels (above the Government’s air quality objective). Biodiversity: Northampton Borough has only one SSSI and no National Nature Reserves. However, the SSSI forms part of the Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits proposed Special Protection Area (pSPA) which is an internationally designated site. The Upper Nene Valley Gravel Pits proposed Special Protection Area could be affected by any activity that changes the hydrology, water quality, land management and intensity of the use of the site as a recreational area. Water: According to Environment Agency data for 2007, stretches of the River Nene at Northampton have generally good standards in terms of biology and chemistry but show high levels of nutrients. A general decrease has been seen in the percentage of river lengths classed as having good biological and chemical quality within Northampton from 2000 to 2005. Soils and land use: The regional target for development on previously developed land is 60%. During the period 2009-10, 74.39% of new or converted dwellings built in Northampton were built on previously developed land. No contaminated land has been formally identified within the Borough although some sites have been identified as needing a review in the future. Land within the Northampton area can be affected by naturally occurring arsenic and radon. This can be dealt with through the planning system when development is proposed on a case by case basis. UK18-14571 Issue: 4 ii Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data Climate change and energy: A number of issues have been identified in relation to climate change in terms of adaption to a changing climate, greenhouse gas emissions and energy consumption. These are summarised as follows: • Annual rainfall is less in the East Midlands than the UK average and is expected to decrease. Therefore there is fairly high risk of drought in the region. Low rainfall in the region is affecting groundwater recharge which is having a negative effect on water levels in streams and rivers. There is an increased risk of winter floods in the region and naturalists have started to notice changes in the county’s plants and animals; • Standard Assessment Procedure ratings in the Borough of Northampton are lower than most of the neighbouring authorities, meaning that homes in the Borough are less energy efficient because the lower the Standard Assessment Procedure rating, the less energy efficient a home is; • People in Northampton appear to use more electricity in their homes (per household) than people in Leicester or Derby. However, people in Northampton appear to use less gas in their homes (per household) than in Daventry, South Northamptonshire and Wellingborough between 2003 and 2005; • Industrial and commercial customers in Northampton and Derby have a similar consumption of electricity (per meter) and both use higher levels per customer / meter than in Leicester. However, less gas is used per consumer within the commercial and industrial sector in Northampton than in Leicester or Derby; • The region has the 3rd lowest renewable energy generating capacity of the UK regions at 2%, the majority of which comes from the combustion of landfill gas; • Estimated carbon dioxide emissions in Northampton are falling and continued efforts are required to continue to achieve a decrease in order to meet targets, particularly in the face of development and population growth; and • In order to contribute to a 60% reduction in carbon emissions by 2050, the East Midlands will need to reduce electricity consumption by around 1.5% each year and Northampton will need to contribute to this. As the security of fuel and energy supply is also becoming an issue this creates a greater need to reduce energy consumption and look for new renewable and low carbon energy supplies. Archaeology and Cultural Heritage: At present, three listed buildings in Northampton are on the Buildings at Risk Register and some monuments within Northampton may be at risk of decay, neglect and development threats. Landscape and townscape: Issues have been recorded for the Northamptonshire Vales Character Area in which Northampton sits. Development of large edge-of town buildings and new roads can be intrusive in what is often a very open landscape and there can be a lack of vegetation to absorb new development, continued conversion to arable will increase the openness of the landscape and endanger the remaining areas of ridge and furrow, riverside meadows and riverside trees are under threat from gravel extraction and neglect and the loss of floodplains to gravel extraction has major archaeological and historic landscape implications. .Areas of greenspace within the town are not well connected and the Borough has a relatively low amount of greenspace. UK18-14571 Issue: 4 iii Northampton in Focus: A Review of Environmental, Northampton Borough Council Economic and Social Data Transport: Residents of Northampton Borough identify congestion as their primary concern.